Granted Patent B2

US 12,730,502 · App. 19/047,010 · Granted Sep 8, 2026

Inventors: Choonkyoung Moon (Suwon-si, KR); Dohyoung Kim (Suwon-si, KR); Juyeon You (Suwon-si, KR); Seungjoon Lee (Suwon-si, KR); Yongjun Lim (Suwon-si, KR); Hoon Han (Suwon-si, KR)

Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

G06F3/012H04L67/561H04W72/51H04W76/10

Abstract

Claims (81)

1 . An electronic device comprising:

communication circuitry;

at least one processor including processing circuitry; and

memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor individually or collectively, cause the electronic device to:

detect a remote control device;

establish a communication connection with the remote control device through the communication circuitry;

based on the communication connection with the remote control device being established, determine a first external electronic device to be controlled using the remote control device;

control the communication circuitry to establish a communication connection between the electronic device and the first external electronic device;

based on establishing the communication connection between the electronic device and the first external electronic device, map at least one key of the remote control device and at least one function of the first external electronic device;

after mapping the at least one key of the remote control device and the at least one function of the first external electronic device, receive, through the communication circuitry from the remote control device, information on a first key on which a first user input is received among the at least one key of the remote control device; and

transmit, through the communication circuitry to the first external electronic device, a signal causing the first external electronic device to perform a function mapped to the first key among the at least one function.

2 . The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising a camera,

wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor individually or collectively, further cause the electronic device to:

obtain an image through the camera,

wherein based on the image the remote control device being in a range corresponding to a gaze of a user wearing the electronic device is detected.

3 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor individually or collectively, further cause the electronic device to:

detect movement of the remote control device;

based on detecting the movement of the remote control device, request, through the communication circuitry via a server, a second external electronic device to forward a command received from of the remote control device to the electronic device, wherein the remote control device is dedicated to the second external electronic device; and

receive, through the communication circuitry via the second external electronic device and the server, from the remote control device, a command corresponding to a second user input received on the remote control device, the second user input being for the communication connection with the remote control device,

wherein based on the receiving the second user input, the communication connection with the remote control device is established.

4 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein

based on detecting the first external electronic device, the first external electronic device is determined to be controlled using the remote control device.

5 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor individually or collectively, further cause the electronic device to:

output a list of external electronic devices which are controllable using the remote control device, based on the communication connection with the remote control device being established

wherein the first external electronic device is determined to be controlled using the remote control device from among the external electronic devices, based on a user input to the list.

6 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor individually or collectively, further cause the electronic device to:

display, through a display of the electronic device, at least one object corresponding to the at least one function of the first external electronic device so that the at least one object is viewable to be disposed in a three-dimensional space around the electronic device;

select an object corresponding to the user's gaze from among the at least one object; and

receive, from the remote control device through the communication circuitry, information about a second key of the remote control device, a user input being inputted to the second key, a function corresponding to the object being to be mapped to the second key,

wherein a function corresponding to the selected object is mapped to the second key of the remote control device.

7 . The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor individually or collectively, cause the electronic device to:

classify the at least one function of the first external electronic device into groups having priorities, based on a user's use history for each of the at least one function; and

display the at least one object, based on the priorities of the groups, through the display so that the at least one object is viewable to be disposed in the three-dimensional space around the electronic device.

8 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor individually or collectively, further cause the electronic device to:

based on the at least one function of the first external electronic device being mapped to the at least one key of the remote control device, display, through a display of the electronic device, an object to overlap the at least one key of the remote control device, the objecting indicating the at least one mapped function.

9 . A method for controlling an external electronic device using a remote control device in an electronic device, the method comprising:

detecting a remote control device;

establishing a communication connection with the remote control device through communication circuitry of the electronic device;

based on the communication connection with the remote control device being established, determining a first external electronic device to be controlled using the remote control device;

controlling the communication circuitry to establish a communication connection between the electronic device and the first external electronic device;

based on establishing the communication connection between the electronic device and the first external electronic device, mapping at least one key of the remote control device and at least one function of the first external electronic device;

after mapping the at least one key of the remote control device and the at least one function of the first external electronic device, receiving, through the communication circuitry from the remote control device, information on a first key on which a first user input is received among the at least one key of the remote control device; and

transmitting, through the communication circuitry to the first external electronic device, a signal causing the first external electronic device to perform a function mapped to the first key among the at least one function.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the detecting of the remote control device comprises:

obtaining an image through a camera of the electronic device; and

detecting the remote control device being in a range corresponding to a gaze of a user wearing the electronic device, based on the image.

11 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the establishing of the communication connection with the remote control device comprises:

detecting movement of the remote control device;

based on detecting the movement of the remote control device, requesting, through the communication circuitry via a server, to a second external electronic device to forward a command received from the remote control device to the electronic device, wherein the remote control device is dedicated to the second external electronic device;

receiving, through the communication circuitry via the second external electronic device and the server, from the remote control device, a command corresponding to a second user input received on the remote control device, the second user input being for the communication connection with the remote control device; and

based on the receiving the second user input, establishing the communication connection with the remote control device.

12 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the determining of the first external electronic device comprises:

detecting the first external electronic device; and

based on detecting the first external electronic device, establishing the communication connection between the first external electronic device and the electronic device.

13 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the determining of the first external electronic device comprises:

outputting a list of external electronic devices which are controllable using the remote control device, based on the communication connection with the remote control device being established;

determining the first external electronic device from among the external electronic devices, based on a user input to the list; and

based on determining the first external electronic device, establishing the communication connection between the first external electronic device and the electronic device.

14 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the mapping of the at least one key of the remote control device and the at least one function of the first external electronic device comprises:

displaying, through a display of the electronic device, at least one object corresponding to the at least one function of the first external electronic device so that the at least one object is viewable to be disposed in a three-dimensional space around the electronic device;

selecting an object corresponding to the user's gaze from among the at least one object;

receiving, from the remote control device through the communication circuitry, information about a second key of the remote control device, a user input being inputted to the second key, a function corresponding to the object being to be mapped to the second key; and

mapping a function corresponding to the selected object to the second key of the remote control device.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the displaying of the at least one object comprises:

classifying the at least one function of the first external electronic device into groups having priorities, based on a user's use history for each of the at least one function; and

displaying the at least one object, based on the priorities of the groups, through the display so that the at least one object is seen to be disposed in the three-dimensional space around the electronic device.

16 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the controlling of the first external electronic device comprises:

based on the at least one function of the first external electronic device being mapped to the at least one key of the remote control device, displaying, through a display of the electronic device, an object to overlap the at least one key of the remote control device, the objecting indicating the at least one mapped function.

17 . An electronic device comprising:

communication circuitry;

at least one processor including a processing circuitry; and

memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor individually or collectively, cause the electronic device to:

detect a first external electronic device;

control the communication circuitry to establish a communication connection between the electronic device and the first external electronic device;

based on establishing the communication connection between the electronic device and the first external electronic device, detect a remote control device;

establish a communication connection with the detected remote control device through the communication circuitry;

based on establishing the communication connection between the electronic device and the first external electronic device, mapping at least one key of the remote control device and at least one function of the first external electronic device;

after mapping the at least one key of the remote control device and the at least one function of the first external electronic device, receiving, through the communication circuitry from the remote control device, information on a first key on which a user input is received among the at least one key of the remote control device; and

transmit, through the communication circuitry to the first external electronic device, a signal causing control the first external electronic device to perform a function mapped to the first key among the at least one function.

18 . The electronic device of claim 17 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor individually or collectively, further cause the electronic device to:

based on the first external electronic device and the electronic device being in communication connection, to display information about at least one remote control device capable of controlling the first external electronic device through a display of the electronic device.

Assignments (1)

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (2)

References Cited (53)